Anthony Joshua knocked out Jake Paul in the sixth round of their heavyweight fight on Friday night.
The two-time heavyweight champion showed why he is one of the sport’s elite punchers when he dropped the fading Paul twice in the fifth round.
Sensing the YouTuber was finished, Joshua rocked him with an upper right early in the sixth. The English national then hit Paul with a combination of blows to the head.
Although Paul (12-2) found his feet again, Joshua (29-4, 26 KOs) finally crushed Paul’s restless dream when he dropped him for the fourth time with a right to the head. Referee Christopher Young counted out Paul at 1:31 of the round in front of a crowd of 19,600 people at the Cascia Centre.
Ed Mulholland/Getty Images for Netflix
Before the fight, Joshua told CBS Sports that He will think about it “Failed” if the match lasts longer than one round.
But his comments after the match They were more moderate.
“Jake Paul did a really good job tonight,” Joshua said, according to CBS Sports. “I want to support him. He got up time and time again. It was tough for him out there, but he kept trying to find a way. It takes a real man to do that.”
With this win, Joshua can now regain the heavyweight title he lost to Oleksandr Usyk. Joshua also spoke about a long-discussed bout with compatriot and former champion Tyson Fury. However, Fury is currently retired after back-to-back losses to Usyk in 2024.
This was Joshua’s first fight since Daniel Dubois knocked him out in five rounds in September 2024.
Joshua systematically proved his speed against Paul from the opening round as neither fighter engaged early. Midway through the round, Paul threw an overhand right that Joshua blocked with his glove. In the final seconds, Joshua scored with a straight shot to the head near the ropes.
In the second, Joshua began to capitalize on his 6-inch reach advantage by driving with a left jab.
Paul scored on a short shot to the head early in the fourth period. Later in the round, Paul twice fell awkwardly to the canvas when he again tried to go the distance during close exchanges
Paul weighed 216 pounds and Joshua weighed 243 pounds for the match.
In a post on Truth Social, President Trump said he witnessed the fight while returning to Washington from a rally in North Carolina.
“On the plane, I just got to watch Jake Paul fight, and he did really well, especially when he showed great courage against the very talented and big Anthony Joshua.” Mr. Trump wrote. “Great entertainment, but kudos to Jake for his stamina and, frankly, his ability, against a much bigger man!”
The 28-year-old Paul, who began his professional career in January 2020, had originally targeted an exhibition in Miami with lightweight champion Gervonta Davis last month. But Davis ran into legal problems that led to the event being cancelled. Paul pivoted quickly and landed the match against Joshua at the same venue.
Celebrities in the crowd included golf champion Rory McIlroy, New York Mets outfielder Juan Soto, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy, and retired NFL receivers Michael Irvin and Brandon Marshall.
In an undercard bout between retired UFC champions, 50-year-old Anderson Silva scored a second-round technical knockout of Tyron Woodley.